Asylum seeker, 30, with 18 convictions and a history of violent crime is fighting to stay in the UK 

Thursday 08 August - A 30-year-old Somali refugee who has racked up 18 convictions including drugs, firearms and theft offences could face deportation – but lawyers argue this is against his human rights.

The refugee, identified only as MS, faces the threat of deportation after two previous judgements allowing him to stay in Britain were overturned by the Court of Appeal.

Royal Courts of Justice, London

But his lawyers say he cannot be sent back to Mogadishu, Somalia, because as a member of the minority Ashraf clan he faces the threat of violence there.

Article 3 prevents the UK from deporting or extraditing people to another country where they would face a real risk of being tortured or subjected to inhuman or degrading treatment.

Despite MS presenting a serious threat to public safety he could still be allowed to remain in the UK, according to officials.

His case will now be returned to the immigration tribunal in the latest instalment of a five-year legal battle.

MS has been convicted 18 times for 25 offences committed between January 2006 and September 2015.

These crime include three offences against the person, two against property, one fraud, five thefts, three relating to public order, three offences relating to police, courts and prisons, one drugs and one firearms offence.

There were also another seven miscellaneous offences.

If deported to Somalia he could be the target of attacks which means UK courts have to consider whether his deportation would be in breach of his human right not to be ‘subjected to inhuman or degrading treatment’.